The Sweetest Cake
by Orange Clouds
Summary: Love is sweeter the second time around. [nakuruxtouya]


Disclaimer: CCS is not mine. And it had never been.

A/N: Italics are flashbacks.

**The Sweetest Cake**

_Love is sweeter the second time around._

I stood by a corner in the rose-filled garden. A glass paned arch, built at the aisle, prevented much sunlight to pass through, and with it bouquets of red roses are mounted. The once empty chairs were now filled with a crowd of people; faces I have known and seen. At last, this day had finally come. This is a day they've all been waiting for. Somehow, make that we've all been waiting for.

I look around me and can't help a burst of unresolved emotions to resurface. I noticed Tomoyo and Sakura nearby, teary-eyed. Yukito stood beside me, and in a glance, I saw a refreshing smile on his face. Li and Hirigizawa was near me, the former breathing relief and the latter displaying an unmistakable grin. There were friends, colleagues that rose in their presence…

I looked up and I saw **him**.

He hasn't changed a bit. The same old him that I came to know of, only now, undoubtedly, he is the happiest man living.

I heard the rustling sound of footsteps coming through the aisle; the white pathway now showered with petals of different colors. There by the end, was the bride, radiant and beautiful, gliding in her glory, making her way to the arms of the man she vowed to love forever.

Nakuru.

I looked at her and thought of a love that had once been.

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"_Touya-kun!" I looked back and saw her, running towards me. During these times in my life, I leave myself with only two choices: to face her or to run._

_But most of the times, fate makes the choice for me. _

_In an instant, I felt a tugging weight in my back. She had done it again. Now she was pulling me to the ground with the added weight of her bag causing me to lose balance._

_I really never learn._

"_Akizuki," I said in annoyance. I helped myself and reached out my hand to her as I always did.. She got up and dusted the hems of her skirt. She moved to get her muddled bag, its contents pouring like fallen leaves of a withered tree._

"_Touya-kun," she flashed a smile and continued, "will you meet me at the park tomorrow?" _

_Now staring at me with puppy eyes, I know she is so much hopeful that I'll say yes._

"_Yes," I said with a small smile. She laughed at me in return._

_We walked home together that afternoon._

_That night, I couldn't let myself fall into sleep. Enough of the twisting and turning, I got up of bed and turned on my bedside lamp. Heavy-eyed, I turned my gaze to my desk, my mobile phone on top and picture frames. I saw hers and had to smile._

_It had been a year now of blissful togetherness. A year. I chuckled at the thought. Who would've guessed? If I had known, I could have laid a bet worth millions on it even though people see me as crazy. It still doesn't change the fact I'll be a crazy millionaire._

_Well, she did. She have stayed and waited and hoped. She had faith on us, and so I learned to believe too._

_And whenever I think how it had all been, I realize we are growing up together and are still. We are like any other couple, just a little bit crazier, and more outrageous. I let myself a hearty laugh. She still strangles me from behind and now, regardless where we are! Sometimes, we hit each other playfully while walking to school, to work, to anywhere. We both cringe at the couples we pass by who are overly affectionate with each other and laugh afterwards, thinking ourselves in the same situation._

_We share almost everything; food, shirts, money. Almost. Even work. We share the same talent of being two great patissiers, and in the same cake house nonetheless! I knew I never had inkling for cakes or pastries, but maybe I should praise my sweet tooth for forcing me to learn. And for letting me see her in a different light. I smiled. We have our moments, and enjoy being rival but friends._

_And more._

_She's like my other half, my best friend and surrogate mother wrapped in one. I laughed again._

_These are the times in my life when I let myself laugh so hard. There's nothing left not to laugh about, anyway._

_For once, I felt happy._

Happy.

The bride was already approaching the middle of the aisle as people gaze at her in awe. Nobody could deny how she was feeling that moment, a little nervous but extremely happy still.

Even I, the great Indifferent, felt how she was. To acknowledge them is another thing.

But I did for her.

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_We met by the time-in machine that noon I came to work. She was just done from her morning shift, and I, was just about to begin mine._

"_Don't be late," she threw me a wink and walked outside the shop._

_What could be so special? I felt my mouth twitch a little, and that day, I was eager to get done with my work._

_So I ran._

I felt like running away, running away with her. Every minute is torture. And every second is torture at its best.

I looked up again. Still I saw her, making cautious steps towards him. That stance. That dress. That smile in her features, that I came to know and have grown to love.

Like her smile that day in the park.

"_Don't be late," I said in mimicry of her voice. I raise a full eyebrow at her._

"_Nani, Touya-kun?" She told me simply._

_I answered a grunt. Sometimes, she has this habit of luring people into her innocence._

"_I'm immune," I answered in a smirk._

_She heaved a sigh. "I spent hours in dreamland, eating my favorite cake. What was wrong with that? It tasted sweet, though."_

"_That is, undeniably, a poor substitute for me."_

"_I never tasted a sour cake. Never wanted to, at the least."_

_I laughed, and then pulled a face._

_She just drew out her tongue and this time it was her turn to smirk. _

_We're tie on our insult game. _

_At least we're not messing ourselves at the public park._

_I moved closer to her in the bench where we both sat. We are both used to in this kind of conversations, quiet talks I have never imagined in my life having with her. But this time we are both so quiet I could feel something is amiss. _

_I looked at her and noticed the serene expression on her face and what lay beneath her silence. As if it was just waiting for me to turn and look at her, a teardrop had fallen in her cheeks._

"_Nakuru," I said. I called her by her name._

"_You must be thinking too, ne, Touya-kun? What are you thinking?"_

_I noted that more still teardrops pouring in her face. "Why are crying?"_

_She smiled at me and softly said, "I never knew you had this talent of reading other people's minds. I seem to ask myself why too."_

_She turned at me fully while I continue to stare at her. In her eyes. Trying to make sense of her tears. Alas, I did._

_It was tears of joy._

"_Eriol-sama had told me yesterday that we'll going back home." She smiled in pure content._

_I tried to find the words to say not to make her feel any other discomfort in my part; I tried not to show any pain, any anguish I had thought non-existent ever since she came into my life. I tried to tell her that it's alright, that that's just right and everything's going to be alright._

_But I failed. Instead, I told her the only thing we both need to know._

"_When will you come back?"_

"_Will you wait for me?"_

_The answer was there. It always had been. "I will."_

_She smiled fully at me, reminding me of the genki Nakuru I had known, I had loved and I will always wait for._

"_I have always known you will."_

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I will. By now, I could feel her almost coming into full bliss. I didn't need to look at her to say it is right there, but her presence brought out the aura of overjoyed love and happiness. What she always deserved to have. A few more steps and then, another life is meant to begin for her.

For them.

For us.

_Three months had already passed since that fateful day at the park. It had been weeks of silent prayers, days of wishful thinking, hours of cheery memories, minutes of mournful missing and seconds of moving on. When will it ever dawn to me, I may never know. But I promised her that I'll wait. _

_I'll do the things I had never done, and be for once, a better person than who I have known now. I'll be strong; I'll be hopeful. I'll learn and never regret. I'll still be what I am for I know there are still more things to hold on to, things worth living for._

_Then I'll be at the kitchen, at work, everyday of my life. I'll be working hard, until I come up with the sweetest cake I could make. And then I'll know wherever she is, she'll come here just to taste it, kiss me on the cheek for a job well done and smile, oh that smile, like she usually does. _

_So I will._

I looked at her again and thought of a love that had once been.

I looked up, then again, and smiled at him.

I haven't changed a bit. The same old me that I came to know of, only now, undoubtedly, I am the happiest man living.

My reflection in the glass-paned arch that guarded the aisle, crowning the altar smiled back. After the weeks of silent prayers that had been answered, of the days of wishful thinking that was granted, of hours of cheery memories that were remembered, minutes of mournful missing that was filled and seconds of moving on to where I stand right now, I wait.

Finally, I wait for her to begin a new life with.

I held her hand and looked at her. My bride. Me, her husband. We walked up to the altar and both longed for the blessing our love will become of.

I still can't believe she's now my wife, though.

"Touya-kun, the wedding cake is the sweetest I have tasted. "

"You tasted it!"

"Arigato, anata."

She smiled innocently at me. That smile, oh that smile, I will always love.

_Now, maybe I do._

owari

A/N2: Woot! This is my very first story, and with a very few audience, one review is thousands to me. Please do. Thank you very much and I hope you like it.


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